Hmm? There's another one?

Kakashi sighed helplessly: "Alright, next, the one with black hair."

Sasuke said coldly: "My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I don't have any likes. I have many dislikes. I don't have a dream, because it is merely a delusion."

"I have an ambition: to revive the Uchiha Clan, and to kill a certain man."

As he spoke, his eyes were filled with bone-deep hatred. The atmosphere on the school rooftop instantly became somewhat oppressive.

Kakashi's gaze turned to the last person: "And you? Ling Xuan."

Ling Xuan spoke calmly: "My name is Ling Xuan. I like to analyze things in silence, and I dislike being disturbed. My dream for the future is to understand all the rules and truths that govern this world. My hobby is collecting and analyzing intelligence."

This self-introduction, so calm it bordered on cold, made Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke feel somewhat uneasy.

The eye Kakashi had exposed, however, narrowed with interest: "Oh? To understand all rules and truths? That is truly a remarkable dream."

"Very well, introductions are over. Tomorrow morning at five, gather at Training Ground 7 for a survival exercise."

"An exercise?"

"That's right, an exercise to determine whether you can truly become genin. The pass rate is less than thirty percent." Kakashi wore a mischievous smile.

"Oh, and a word of advice: it's best not to eat breakfast tomorrow morning. Otherwise, you might just throw up."

Leaving behind these unsettling words, Kakashi vanished from the spot with a poof.

Training Ground 7.

Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno had arrived first. Naruto looked energetic, likely due to excitement or perhaps because he hadn't heeded the warning and had eaten breakfast.

Sasuke was as cold as ever, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings, while Sakura stood nervously by his side.

Ling Xuan was the last to arrive; his expression was calm, as if he were merely out for a stroll.

Last night, he had already used Shadow Clones to run several tactical simulations and optimized his energy reserves.

A small breakfast rich in protein and easily digestible carbohydrates was sufficient to sustain his high-intensity thinking and actions.

"Yo, you're all here, except for me." A lazy voice sounded abruptly above their heads.

Hatake Kakashi was hanging upside down leisurely from a thick tree branch, holding a copy of Icha Icha Paradise with an orange cover, reading it with great interest.

"You're too late, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto immediately pointed at him and shouted.

Kakashi used a Body Flicker technique to appear before them, closed his book, and yawned.

"Well, I ran into a black cat crossing the road, so I had to take a bit of a detour." There was no sincerity in his single visible eye.

Taking a small alarm clock from his ninja tool pouch, Kakashi placed it on a nearby stone monument, then took out three gleaming silver bells and tied them to his waist.

"Alright, the rules are simple." Kakashi pointed to the bells. "The exercise lasts until noon. Your goal is to snatch these three bells from me. Those who get a bell pass and get to eat the delicious bento I've prepared."

"As for those who don't..." He chuckled, pointing to the wooden stakes nearby. "You'll be tied up there, watching me eat my bento. And most importantly, if none of you manage to snatch a bell by the time the clock runs out..."

"All of you will be sent back to the Ninja Academy to repeat! Remember, you must come at me with the intent to kill, otherwise, it is absolutely impossible to succeed."

The terrifying pass rate, the harsh conditions, and the requirement to attack with the intent to kill made the expressions of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura turn grave.

Only Ling Xuan remained unchanged.

"Now, the exercise, begin!"

As soon as the words left his lips, Naruto shot off like an arrow from a bow, shouting, "I'm going to be the first to grab a bell and become the man who surpasses the Hokage!", charging straight at Kakashi.

Kakashi didn't even change his posture; he simply leaned slightly to the side, easily dodging Naruto's wild, formless punch.

He then reached back with a backhand, appearing behind Naruto with lightning speed, his hands forming a strange tiger seal.

"Hidden Leaf Secret Finger Jutsu: One Thousand Years of Death!!!"

Thwack!

"Aaaah—!!!" Naruto let out a heaven-shaking scream, flying off like a kite with a broken string, crashing headfirst into the nearby river and sending up a splash.

Sasuke's pupils constricted slightly; the speed and technique Kakashi had just displayed far exceeded his imagination.

But his Uchiha pride would not allow him to retreat. He quickly formed hand seals: "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

A massive fireball roared toward Kakashi.

Kakashi remained unhurried. With a flash, he moved faster than the attack, appearing outside the fireball's range. At the same time, a kunai appeared in his hand, and he parried Sasuke's follow-up taijutsu attacks with a playful demeanor.

"Not bad, little Uchiha brat. But, you're too green."

Kakashi dodged with ease, occasionally countering, leaving Sasuke in a sorry state.

[Target: Hatake Kakashi. Current combat mode: Playful, with evaluation as secondary. Taijutsu usage: Only displaying C-rank level, but speed and reaction far exceed this level.]

[Chakra control: Exquisite, no high-level ninjutsu used. Sharingan: Not activated.]

Ling Xuan had already merged into the shadows of the surrounding trees the moment Kakashi announced the start, observing the battlefield like a ghost.

His Eye of Truth operated at high speed, recording every movement Kakashi made, every breath, and even the subtle, fleeting emotions in his eyes.

Sakura was completely stunned by the battle before her. She could only stand helplessly in place, watching Sasuke being suppressed by Kakashi, calling out incessantly.

"Sasuke-kun, be careful! Sasuke-kun, go for it!"

Suddenly, she felt the scene around her distort. Sasuke, who had been struggling in the fight, was now lying on the ground covered in blood, with several kunai embedded in his chest—it looked as if he were beyond saving!

"Sasuke-kun--!!!" Sakura let out a shrill scream, her vision went black, and she fainted on the spot.

Kakashi's figure appeared beside her, and he shook his head helplessly.

"Sigh, such poor resistance to genjutsu, honestly." He had only used the most basic genjutsu, yet he had easily dealt with one of them.

Not far away, Naruto, who had just crawled out of the river soaking wet, saw this scene and felt his anger flare up even more, charging forward once again without a second thought.

Sasuke also took the opportunity to adjust his stance, his eyes growing colder; he clearly realized the massive gap in strength between himself and a jonin.

Kakashi handled their pincer attack with ease, though he was secretly evaluating them in his heart.

"This kid Naruto has an astonishing amount of chakra, but he's far too reckless. Sasuke has good talent, but his arrogance is too heavy, and he lacks any sense of teamwork. As for Sakura, she still needs quite a bit of training."

"Hm? And there's one more?" Kakashi's gaze swept across the surroundings without leaving a trace.